Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles have been busy for the past two months preparing for their first NFL draft together. The Chicago Bears head coach had to get caught up on prospect evaluations. Following the scouting combine in February, the two men traveled across the country, visiting pro days for every major program. Johnson popped up at Michigan’s event last week, and Poles surfaced at Texas on Tuesday. However, an interesting side note is that the two men have never been seen together.
That finally changed on Wednesday. Both men were on hand for the highly-anticipated Ohio State pro day. It shouldn’t be a shock. The program is notorious for churning out blue-chip talents every year. They are one of the biggest football factories in the nation. The only question is who the Bears brass were there to see. With Johnson being the offensive mind, four names stood out as possibilities.
OT Josh Simmons
OG Donovan Jackson
RB Quinshon Judkins
RB TreVeyon Henderson
All four are projected to go in the 1st or 2nd rounds next month, with Simmons considered the best left tackle by many in this class. He could be a serious option for the Bears at #10, especially with Braxton Jones’ uncertain future.
Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles would play the odds by going this route.
Recent history says you rarely go wrong by taking an Ohio State player in the 1st round. Since 2015, no less than 21 Buckeyes have gone that high. Nine of them have made the Pro Bowl. Interestingly, the last time the Bears took an Ohio State player in the 1st round that wasn’t a quarterback (Justin Fields) was in 1992, when they selected Alonzo Spellman. He had a solid career with Chicago, posting 32 sacks in six seasons. If they’re looking for another pass rusher, JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer are considered viable options. Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles likely have an idea already of who they want. The only question is where they aim to land that player. The 2nd round feels like the most likely area to watch, as several of the names mentioned above should be in play. Any one of them could be a big help to this team.
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